A question about keeping children off school in term time: to take them on holiday.

Spendless

onlyroz wrote: »

Perhaps home-schooling would be a better option for people who want their child to pursue a career in acting.

As for the girl in the article - perhaps it would be different if she'd landed a major part in Harry Potter, but 10 days off to be an extra in a CBBC show? I can understand why the school is reluctant if the girl is already struggling academically. If her acting career flounders she'd be left with nothing to fall back on if she fails all her GCSEs.

Home schooling isn't always a practical solution though. My dd has an agent now and auditioned for the same cbbc show twice. On the second occassion she fluffed her lines up. I'm not going to take her out of school now to home-school her, on the off chance she might get other auditions and be offerred a part. You have to wait for the agent to tell you that your child has been selected for an audition, rather than you select it.

You don't tend to go from performing in your local theatre group to an offer in a major film (does happen very occasionally) from your first audition. It's a more gradual process. For kids who want to work in that profession a lot of the training is started as a child, the drama school places for 18+ are highly competitive.

My understanding is she was refused because of her attendance below a certain % rather than academic concerns, but maybe they've changed the story since I read it, I only looked it up and linked it in this morning, I didn't re-read it.

I'm not convinced that the girl mentioned is an 'extra'. I suspect that she has a small speaking part, only because it's only recently cast -my dds 2nd audition was during May half term and the filming would be done over 10 different days rather than a whole block. But I'm not sure, I've not long got in from work after a busy day with just me covering 4 different peoples desks. :eek::D so not currently sat at dd's classes listening to 'drama mum' gossip.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

mumps wrote: »

Well in that case shall we ban all holidays? After all if not everyone can afford tem why should anyone?

Just to make clear I didn't mention any fancy holidays, I was talking about camping. I also never cheated, lied or got angy about taking holidays, back in the day the head could authorise a two week family holiday. I never demanded a holiday just when I wanted it, just a summer holiday for the family, if not in school holidays then at a reasonable time agreed with the head e.g. not at exam time.

But hey don't let me stop you making upvarious scenarios and being rude if it makes you happy. It takes all sorts.

You seem to be rather angry now. And they are banned during term times now.

I was speaking in general terms about how baffling I find it that people who can afford to have a luxury - which any holiday is - even a day out is a luxury expense that not all can afford - are so convinced they have a right to go away that they get angry/lie/whatever if somebody questions them.


It was something that caused some disagreements with my ex. We couldn't afford a holiday. You'd think I had suggested amputating his genitalia, he was so enraged at the idea that I thought it wasn't a vital household expense on an equal footing with, say, food or rent. He was also of the opinion that, if he wanted his holiday in term time, he was going to take it.

Mind you, he is the person who is now in debt to the tune of about fifty grand since we split up. But he's off on holiday again soon. I'm sure he thinks he deserves it as well. But I think it would have been more useful for the money to have been not spent in the first place, as he wouldn't have the stress of trying to keep up with the debt repayments. But I suppose the stress of that means he needs another holiday [shrug].

Ah well. Once I can afford it, a holiday would be lovely. But until then, there's no point fussing about it.

Torry_Quine

Jojo I totally agree. Holidays are a luxury and not a necessity. Education should always come first and in my opinion a child shouldn't be taken out of school for a holiday.

FBaby

I was speaking in general terms about how baffling I find it that people who can afford to have a luxury - which any holiday is - even a day out is a luxury expense that not all can afford - are so convinced they have a right to go away that they get angry/lie/whatever if somebody questions them.

I think another consideration in this discussion is that although I don't think anyone would argue that a holiday is indeed a luxury, that luxury is more or less important to different people.

For me, holidays are everything, not just the relaxing aspect of a holiday, but the travelling part of it, discovering new places, meeting new people, and coming home reflecting on the experience. Holidaying to me is all about learning.

Ever since I was a kid I have looked forward to my holidays as a reward for a choice of a hard working lifestyle. As it happens, genes or not, both my kids are just the same and so is my OH. They absolutely love travelling for the same reasons. Of all the various luxuries that one look forward to, holidays always come at the top for us.

I can understand that a family who are very homy and not that bothered about travelling, who prefer to spend their money on their house, garden, TV packages etc..., it is hard to understand that mindset.

I do find it odd that parents who take kids out of school for the occasional holiday are much more looked down upon than those parents who buy their kids a massive huge TV in their room and let them play games until late at night when I would think there is much less to gain from that activity and much more to lose out education wise long term than being off a week on a travelling holiday.

Jagraf

FBaby wrote: »

I think another consideration in this discussion is that although I don't think anyone would argue that a holiday is indeed a luxury, that luxury is more or less important to different people.

For me, holidays are everything, not just the relaxing aspect of a holiday, but the travelling part of it, discovering new places, meeting new people, and coming home reflecting on the experience. Holidaying to me is all about learning.

Ever since I was a kid I have looked forward to my holidays as a reward for a choice of a hard working lifestyle. As it happens, genes or not, both my kids are just the same and so is my OH. They absolutely love travelling for the same reasons. Of all the various luxuries that one look forward to, holidays always come at the top for us.

I can understand that a family who are very homy and not that bothered about travelling, who prefer to spend their money on their house, garden, TV packages etc..., it is hard to understand that mindset.

I do find it odd that parents who take kids out of school for the occasional holiday are much more looked down upon than those parents who buy their kids a massive huge TV in their room and let them play games until late at night when I would think there is much less to gain from that activity and much more to lose out education wise long term than being off a week on a travelling holiday.

I love holidays , and I would choose that luxury over a massive tv any day.

My choice in what you describe would be neither - no playing games in their room til the early hours and no playing truant. Both are bad in my book. Although you can leave the gaming off the uni and job applications.

missbiggles1

Jagraf wrote: »

I still can't understand why some parents think our education system should be run around when some parents want their holidays.

Parents priorities seem to be all over the place. Family time comes below everything EXCEPT education, when family time all of a sudden becomes of utmost importance.

I also don't see why to acceptable to break this particular law, based on all kinds of excuses, yet if it were something else .....

As I said before I personally think the rules will become more strict, only time will tell. I'm pleased that our laws protect our children's education and their right to it.

The whole pattern of the educational year is based around the needs of adults from the days when agriculture was a major factor. Now this is no longer the case we should probably rethink the whole school year, with family holidays only being one aspect (and not the most important.) taken into consideration.

onlyroz

FBaby wrote: »

I think another consideration in this discussion is that although I don't think anyone would argue that a holiday is indeed a luxury, that luxury is more or less important to different people.

For me, holidays are everything, not just the relaxing aspect of a holiday, but the travelling part of it, discovering new places, meeting new people, and coming home reflecting on the experience. Holidaying to me is all about learning.

Ever since I was a kid I have looked forward to my holidays as a reward for a choice of a hard working lifestyle. As it happens, genes or not, both my kids are just the same and so is my OH. They absolutely love travelling for the same reasons. Of all the various luxuries that one look forward to, holidays always come at the top for us.

I can understand that a family who are very homy and not that bothered about travelling, who prefer to spend their money on their house, garden, TV packages etc..., it is hard to understand that mindset.

I do find it odd that parents who take kids out of school for the occasional holiday are much more looked down upon than those parents who buy their kids a massive huge TV in their room and let them play games until late at night when I would think there is much less to gain from that activity and much more to lose out education wise long term than being off a week on a travelling holiday.

I also think at holidays are tremendously important but if you cant afford them then you shouldn't be getting into debt over them. My mum came from a working class background and for them a holiday meant a week or two in a caravan at Aldbrough (the park has since fallen into the sea). The idea of them taking time off school during term time to go abroad would have been utterly ludicrous to them.

THe fact that people now view a foreign holiday as a right rather than a privilege is just another example of the Me Me Me culture that has developed.

Spendless

Jagraf wrote: »

I still can't understand why some parents think our education system should be run around when some parents want their holidays.

I still can't understand why one industry (education) that has it's workers off 'en-masse' thinks that every other industry/employee that has a school educated child should be able to take precisely the same 'shut down' weeks.

Gloomendoom

FBaby wrote: »

For me, holidays are everything, not just the relaxing aspect of a holiday, but the travelling part of it, discovering new places, meeting new people, and coming home reflecting on the experience. Holidaying to me is all about learning.

So two weeks AI, probably never leaving the complex, wouldn't cut it?

Gloomendoom

missbiggles1 wrote: »

The whole pattern of the educational year is based around the needs of adults from the days when agriculture was a major factor. Now this is no longer the case we should probably rethink the whole school year, with family holidays only being one aspect (and not the most important.) taken into consideration.

It doubt it would matter how the school year was rethought. Prices will go up during periods of high demand.